All of the famous English authors seem to have flocked to the Lake District at some point or another. When I say all, I mean at least two of them: William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. Today I’ll be focusing on the latter.

Becoming a Potterhead

Beatrix Potter loved the Lakes, frequenting them often, as a child, with her family. As an adult she continued these visits which provided the inspiration for the books many of us grew up with such as Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck.

Visiting the farmhouse with my sister, it was evident how much of herself the author put into her work. The furnishings of Hill Top can be clearly seen in Beatrix’s illustration as can the garden and the outer parts of the house.

Her father, Rupert Potter, encouraged Beatrix’s creativity, being an artistic person himself. The below paintings on plates were copied by Rupert from children’s books. They shared a passion for photography that transformed one of the storerooms in Hill Top into a dark room.

Rupert had inherited his father Edmund’s money which had been earned from calico-printing and his membership of the Parliament of Carlisle. This fortune provided the initial security that was needed for Beatrix’s interests to be pursued.

I, personally, had had no idea that she did so much to save the land. She clearly loved every blade of grass, every building and all the farming practices of her time. Beatrix foresaw the urbanisation that could occur if no action was taken. She spent at least 30 years of her life in aid of the conservation of the area. Upon her death, Hill Top was left to the National Trust alongside 15 farms and upwards of 4,000 acres of land.

Thank you to my sister for taking me here! We’ve been able to walk and sit in some of the places that Beatrix did (albeit some of them very late at night).

Counting Sheep

I also learnt a “new” counting system called Yan Tyan Tethera, which was traditionally used for sheep and knitting until the industrial revolution. Looking at this clock face I’m sure you’ll understand why some of the words had me looking it up.

It’s now time to travel back to the Isle of Man. It feels like far too soon. I won’t let this be the last time that I call you during the adventure of my life.